The Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference announced its preseason cross country coaches polls Wednesday, and notably, the Bulldog women were picked to finish fourth, while the men's team were slated to finish eighth.
The UMD women's team ran to their second-straight third-place finish last fall at the NSIC Championship meet and return a strong core – including three runners in the Bulldogs top-five – senior Ellie Hanowski, junior Claire Becker and senior Rachel Ulrich.
"The Bulldogs are ready for another great year of growth and competition at a high level this fal," said UMD head coach Brette Jensen. "We bring back several key members from our team last season and also bring on ten newcomers who are extremely talented with exciting potential. We are looking forward to working hard and watching the results pay off come November."
Hanowski was named a NSIC Runner to Watch after her standout junior season.
"Ellie had an incredible breakthrough season last year and I am excited for what's to come her senior year," said Jensen. She works hard, trains consistently, and focuses on the little things. Ellie has been a wonderful team member who continually helps elevate our program."
The UMD men's team finished ninth last season at the NSIC championship and return four of the Bulldogs top-five finishers in that meet. That includes NSIC Runner to Watch sophomore Issac Dickenson, senior Noah Foster, freshman Connor Bialka, and senior Nolan Bakken.
"Isaac was a super consistent performer for us all of last year," said Jensen about UMD's Runner to Watch. "With a great freshman year under his belt and more racing experience, he is primed and ready to be at the top of the conference this fall. Isaac brings consistency and great work ethic to every practice and competition. I'm excited to see how he progresses this fall."
Overall, the men expect to compete in the conference this season and improve on their standing from a season ago.
"We return a ton of great talent and potential for this fall," said Jensen. "We are ready to capitalize on every competitive opportunity with men who have gained a ton of experience throughout the last year. This group is exciting to watch and I'm looking forward to how we progress through the season."
Both UMD teams will get the 2026 season underway in River Falls, Wis. in the River Town Invitational on Sept. 4.
